Abstract
Phlorizin, one of the major apple polyphenols that are highly contained in the peel, shows anticancer effect
and lowers the blood sugar level. Indeed, a renal targeted derivative of phlorizin is the latest anti-hyperglycemic drug
in clinical settings. However, pesticides used may cause harm when whole apple fruits were consumed. While it was
the commonly held belief that apples can't be grown without pesticides, there is an orchard cultivating apples with no
pesticides nor fertilizers in Tsugaru district in Japan. Here we compared Phlorizin content by mass spectrometry in
the peel of Fuji apples for five months between those grown with a natural cultivation method that employs neither
fertilizers nor pesticides, and a method with no chemical fertilizers and reduced pesticide use. Results showed that
the phlorizin content of the fruits grown with the former method was significantly larger than that with the latter
one for all periods tested. The natural cultivation is a promising method that assures safe intake of polyphenols in not
only flesh but also peels.
